Unraveling A Midsummer Night's Dream

Unraveling A Midsummer Night's Dream

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you should understand the plot, literary devices used, and be able to place the play in its historical context.

What do you already know about A Midsummer Night's Dream?

Introduction to the Play

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedic play by William Shakespeare, set in a forest where the fairy king and queen cause mischief among lovers.

Plot Overview

The play revolves around the adventures and mishaps of four young Athenian lovers, a group of amateur actors, and the fairies who inhabit the forest.

Literary Devices

Shakespeare employs various literary devices such as puns, metaphors, and soliloquies to enhance the comedic and dramatic elements of the play.

Character Analysis

Explore the characters of Oberon, Titania, Puck, and the lovers, and discuss their significance in the play.

Historical Context

Discuss the Elizabethan era and how societal norms and beliefs of the time influenced the themes and characters in the play.

Interactive Discussion

Engage in a group discussion on the themes of love, magic, and illusion in the play.

Critical Analysis

Encourage students to critically analyze the play's themes, characters, and their relevance in today's society.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.